Mangia Bene Bistro II

A menu with personality delivers good food at reasonable prices to this Lambertville spinoff.

By: Antoinette Buckley

   As the name suggests, Mangia Bene Bistro II is an Italian restaurant that is the second of its kind. The original restaurant is located in Flemington and has been open four years. The new Lambertville location has only been opened five months. I must admit, I approach with caution when a restaurant expands this way, as the quality of food often suffers, but here the restaurant seems to have multiplied successfully. Apart from a special occasion outing, good food at reasonable prices is what diners seek most of the time. That is exactly what is served here.
   The restaurant is neatly arranged and has a noncommittal style. The atmosphere is casual, even though linen-dressed tables tend to keep diners conscious of their conversational volume. Traditionally framed paintings decorate the walls that enclose a boxy space. Some are still-life paintings of fruit or flowers. Some are scenic. But the most character comes from the Italian opera music prominently played in the background.
   Dinnerware, too, is a mild point of interest. Instead of boring white, food is served on pretty plates with multicolored pastel brushstrokes around the rim. It brightens things up, although the food needs little help from aesthetics.
   The menu has personality without getting particularly experimental. The most creative dishes are found in the appetizer section. There, a description of eggplant rolled with prosciutto and cheese in a pink vodka sauce looks promising ($6.95). An untraditional shrimp scampi piques interest as it is made with prosciutto and Dijon mustard ($7.95).
   Our meal began with the prompt arrival of bread and a trio of dippings that included olive oil, sweet butter and a decent, but unexciting, sundried tomato spread. The real culinary charm was turned on in the first course — a critical point for any meal.
   Lightly fried calamari ($7.95) were sautéed in balsamic vinegar and onion. I must admit the deep brown coloring that the fish took on challenged our belief in the dish. But one bite revealed tender calamari that were enhanced by a sweet-yet-tart balsamic vinegar flavoring.
   Polenta ($6.95), an Italian corn meal served in a mushy, porridge-like form, was excellent. It is offered with a choice of tomato sauce and sausage, or a more indulgent gorgonzola cheese sauce. I went for the cheese sauce and was delighted. The polenta itself presents a textural mix of grainy and creamy that has a way of dissolving in the mouth. Even though it was full of flavor on its own, the sauce augmented the polenta with the assertive flavor of gorgonzola. I’m not sure if I enjoyed it so much because it was a refreshing change of pace or if it just spoke to me as the ultimate in comfort food that night.
   Penne alla Vodka ($12.95) with peas and prosciutto was another satisfying kind of a dish. The pink vodka sauce was lightly creamy and carried the scent of garlic more than an overwhelming taste of it. A half-portion of this entree was plenty for a whole meal.
   All the portions were generous. A mound of linguine studded with mussels, clams, calamari and shrimp was prepared in a sprightly basil tomato sauce and set before me in a beautiful, colorful pasta bowl. This Frutti di Mare ($17.95) had only one flaw — the shrimp, while large, were a little chewy and rather bland. However, the Vitello Boscaiola ($14.95) didn’t have that problem. The thin slices of veal were perfect. And the Marsala wine sauce with mushrooms and prosciutto that topped the meat was alive to a fault, though on the salty side.
   Just as a restaurant needs to impress with the first course, so does it need to make a good finish. Mangia Bene II hit the mark again with homemade desserts that swept us away. A conventional cannoli ($5) featured a fresh pastry shell filled with a smooth cannoli cream that was exceptionally good. The Tiramisu ($5.50) was served in a high dessert glass as if to present it on a pedestal, which is exactly where it belonged. Delicate cake fingers and a sweet marscarpone cream that was as light as a whisper fooled you into believing there were no calories in it.
   There’s talk of a third Mangia Bene Bistro sprouting up in Hillsborough in the future. If the business can maintain the same responsive and friendly service and the same pleasing food, I say, bring it on.